Network to Boost Your Business

Contents

How You Can Do It Too
Centralizing business applications and file and print services will benefit most small businesses. Companies such as Dell, HP, and IBM manufacture quality small-business servers, and each of them has a buying guide on its Web site that will help you choose the right server for your needs. Essentially, you'll pick a form factor and then choose components that are appropriate for your application and number of users.

Find a Spot
The first step is to determine where you're going to place a server. Look for an area that is physically safe, is well ventilated, and has adequate power.

Think About the Juice
An inefficient server will cost more in the long run, by consuming a lot of power and generating a lot of heat (which means the system must then be cooled).

Choose a Form Factor
Servers are available as standalone towers or as rack-mountable hardware. If you believe that your operation is going to stay small and have only one server or two, a tower may be the way to go. If you're poised for growth, plan ahead by purchasing a rack and slowly filling it with hardware. If you anticipate explosive growth, then rack-mounted blade servers are the best option.

Set Tech Priorities
Pumping up RAM and storage will usually give you a better bang for the buck than shelling out cash for faster processors. a brand tip In general, AMD processors will save you money over comparable Intel CPUs.

Hardware Checklist
Don't forget additional hardware such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor (or a KVM switch), tape backup, and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

Compare Service and Support
The warranty should be for at least three years with next-day, on-site service. If your service is going to run mission-critical applications, consider purchasing an on-site support policy that specifies a turnaround time of 4 hours or less.

Plan For Growth
Look for server hardware that will scale up as your requirements grow. Balance your desire to save money now with your desire not to have to replace the server in two years.

Matthew D. Sarrel, CISSP, is a network security,
product development, and technical marketing
consultant based in New York City. He is also a game
reviewer and technical writer. To read his opinions on games please browse http://games.mattsarrel.com and for more general information on Matt, please see http://www.mattsarrel.com.
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